How to Start Growing a Beard

So, you're a newcomer to beards. Maybe you've never worn one before, or maybe you’re just years out of practice. Whatever the case, you can no longer fight the inevitable. The urge to grow some manly whiskers has taken over.

Don't worry, we've all been there. No matter how long we’ve been wearing our beards, ultimately we’ve all had to start from zero. The question is, how do you get from zero to bearded glory? Unfortunately, there's no perfect “how to grow a beard” list, and the journey to growing a beard is slightly different for everyone, but these basic tips and tricks are a great universal starting point. We promise, it'll be painless—and we’ll do our best to make the process quick, too.

How to Start Growing a Beard in 6 Steps

1. Start Off Fresh

If you're growing your first beard, you don't want to get your start from a patchy, ill-shaven mess of scruff. It’s almost always best to begin a new beard from a completely clean-shaven state to help get things going. 

Everyone’s hair follicles are a bit different, causing beard hair to grow sideways or twisted around and sometimes a mess. If you don't shave down to “babyface” status before you kick off your quest, you’re more likely to find your whiskers growing in as a rough, uneven mess. It may seem counterintuitive, but when it comes to new hair growth, it's true. The best way to achieve an optimal beard is to take it all off and start from nothing.

2. Take Care of Your Body

As surprising as it sounds, what you put in your body and do in your day-to-day has a direct influence on how your beard will grow. Issues like a lack of sleep, increased stress, dehydration, low testosterone, and failing to eat a balance can have insanely negative effects on your growth. 

So what can you do?

Get out to the gym or head outdoors to increase your natural testosterone levels. Start drinking more water and eating a better diet filled with protein and greens — yep, stay away from fast food, as tempting as it may be. Start getting a better night's sleep and focusing on you, yourself, and you. See, growing a beard isn’t just about the beard. It’s about you and how you’re going to take care of yourself with proper washing, cleaning, grooming, and care. 

3. Grow It in Evenly

Everyone’s beard grows in differently. And the simple fact is that even guys who have been blessed with thick, fast-growing facial follicles are going to find a few spots where their hair develops at a different rate than the rest. It can take a few days or even a few weeks for all of your facial hair to even up and start to reach a consistent length. This is especially noticeable when you get a fresh start on growing a beard. During the early days of your beard adventure, minor variations in your hair quality or thickness will be especially visible.

Your beard may run afoul of a few obvious trouble spots. If that’s the case, you may find it’s a good idea to shave your stubble back down to the skin a few times every couple of days in order to encourage faster growth and give your whiskers a chance to even up. Our Beard Growth Vitamins can also give you a leg up at overcoming these challenges. They help promote faster, fuller hair growth.

Even then, it’s possible you may never reach a point where your facial hair grows in evenly all around, creating that thick beard. Don’t be discouraged! Once you start growing, you simply need to work around the rough patches by taking an active role in keeping things even. Every two days or so, you’ll want to trim the areas that grow faster than the rest. Yes, this means you’ll have to wait a little longer to embark on the road to bearded excellence. But it's like they say: Good things (and good growth) come to those who wait.

4. Pick A Shape

Once you've reached a point where your facial hair is growing in full and even, you’ll want to pick a style to aim for. There are so many styles of beard out there that it can be tough picking the one you want for yourself! 

It’s best to start out with a beard shape and style that is achievable for your first time, such as a goatee or some sick sideburns. You’ll grow out to that longer beard, but long beards take time and a deeper understanding of your facial hair and skincare routine to achieve, so don’t rush it.

Obviously, you’ll want to grow a perfect beard whose shape flatters your own looks, but you’ll also want to consider a few other factors before you start defining your beard for good.

Remember, your beard and facial hair growth will be unique to you. And while products like biotin supplements or even your personal testosterone level may affect your beard’s growth rate, factors like your face shape and jawline remain the focus for what shape will fit you best. 

What kind of style makes sense for your workplace and day-to-day life? If you’re an athlete or work around industrial devices, you’ll probably want to avoid a long, loose beard that could get in the way or get caught in machinery. Also, how much daily upkeep do you want to deal with? How much of a visual impact are you looking to make—is your beard about complementing your appearance, or is it there to be seen and make a statement? Once you’ve figured out considerations like this and picked the right beard and mustache wax for sculpting, you’ll be able to set your style goals.

The right beard style for you is out there. Most of us didn’t grow our best beard the first time, but we found what was best for us over time and with trial and error.

5. Care for Your Skin and Beard

Your beard starts with your skin. Once you’ve hit equilibrium with your beard and have a look in mind, you’ll need to start thinking about how to keep your beard and the skin beneath it healthy. The key to keeping your face and facial hair alike in peak condition is to care for them daily. 

Dry skin, especially around your neckline and face, can cause itchiness, with prolonged scratching leading to potential hair loss and a patchy beard. No one wants that. Seek out beard products and natural oils that are designed to hydrate and moisturize your skin to soothe any irritation. 

We offer a Growth Vitamin Spray that hydrates and nourishes your beard with essential vitamins while also making it more manageable. You can combine this treatment with our Growth Oil and Growth Vitamins as well. These products keep your beard soft and strong even as they work wonders for the skin underneath.

Keep your facial hair and skin clean and well moisturized with proper beard care. This includes using a beard wash, even before a full beard has grown in, and a good moisturizing beard oil or beard balm. Always use products designed specifically for beards or your face, as the skin around your lips, chin, and neck can be sensitive and react to incorrect products. 

6. Maintenance

Before you know it, you should have a beard to inspire envy in everyone who sees it. Getting started is the hardest part! Once you’ve achieved peak beard, your biggest concern will be to maintain your look. You'll want to keep everything trimmed in order to keep your looks in fighting condition. The Beard Club offers all sorts of beard brushes and combs to help keep your beard neat and tidy, as well as beard trimming scissors if you're feeling up to handling your own trimming duties.

You’ll find that a healthy beard is often a thick, well-washed, and well-maintained beard. Don’t be afraid to pull out your beard trimmer and do a gentle, slow trim around the edges to get rid of stragglers and square up your look.

We told you it would be easy! Don't be afraid to go for the beard you want. It's all about experimentation and working from the results you discover. Follow the steps above and you shouldn't have any issues at all. And once you’re finally rocking that amazing beard, send us some before-and-after pics on our social channels. We'd love to see how far you've come!